


To Woo a Weasley

by GinnyFics21



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24206869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyFics21/pseuds/GinnyFics21
Summary: Justin Finch-Fletchley has his heart set on someone special, but he can't seem to keep her around long enough to explore their connection. It won't dampen his spirits though, the best things in life are worth trying again and again and again for.Written for a Fanatical Fics podcast challenge!
Relationships: Justin Finch-Fletchley/Ginny Weasley
Kudos: 2





	To Woo a Weasley

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for a writing competition created by the Fanatical Fics & Where to Find Them podcast that included certain writing prompts and character highlights! This is certainly not a new Dramione fic.
> 
> As a word of advice, if you enjoy fanfic, you ABSOLUTELY have to check out this bonkers podcast of crackfic :)

Justin Finch-Fletchley walked out onto the Quidditch pitch as the Gryffindors descended on their brooms from practice on a cool and damp May afternoon.

“Ginny,” Justin called and he heard her groan as she dismounted close by, “Just thought I’d _slither_ over and say hi.”

“Hi Justin,” she responded flatly, tapping her foot with impatience as the rest of her teammates headed for the locker rooms, some of them snickering lightly. Justin had been _just stopping to say hi_ a little too frequently lately after she’d already made it clear she wasn’t interested and it was frankly quite annoying.

“I was wondering if you’d like to meet up in Hogsmeade this weekend,” he asked smoothly. It’d taken all of his courage to finally ask her out.

“No, I already have plans,” she replied, turning on her heel and heading for the locker rooms before he had a chance to follow up. 

He sputtered for a moment watching after her before he regained his composure and took his leave from the pitch. She must want to get to know him first before committing to an afternoon together.

He’d been trying to find a way to woo her for months now. But it was so hard to get her alone and when she was, it was even harder to keep her there for more than a short quip or greeting. But his efforts were far from over. He knew, deep down, that they were connected; like someone had put a magnet charm on them. 

Justin was nearing the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts and felt the time winding down to get her to see what was in front of her. He was a smart boy, top half of his class, for sure, which he thought should be clear from his mediocre skills in the Dumbledore’s Army meetings. He felt he was at least in the fiftieth percentile when it came to looks as well. And he knew he had a great personality; he’d consider himself kind, loyal, and fair, but he was outspoken, too; passionate. She just needed to give him a chance and he knew he could win her over. 

But he also knew she’d become quite popular with the boys lately as it had been rumored that she was finally over her years-long crush on the Boy Who Lived. She’d come into her own since her early years at Hogwarts and now Ginny Weasley was a force to be reckoned with. She was bright, feisty and quick-witted. And she was so much more than that. _He hummed internally, thinking about her_. So he’d resolved to double his efforts and show her he was committed to exploring what they had.

After dinner in the Great Hall that evening, the platters cleared and were replaced with coffee, tea and desserts. Justin filled two teacups with a lavender tea and stood with them, setting his sights on the Gryffindor table and sauntering over confidently.

“Good evening, Ginny,” he said, taking the seat next to her and sliding a teacup her way.

Dean, who was sitting across from her, smirked and turned to talk with Seamus as Ginny sighed heavily, “Hi Justin.”

“I figured since you’ve got plans Saturday, I would bring over a cup of tea to go with dessert tonight. We can get to know each other a little better. I know your stories would just have me _coiled_ around your finger.”

“Sounds lovely, but I was just leaving,” she said with a forced smile, standing and grabbing a biscuit from the platter before she turned and left the Great Hall. She’d been nice at first, when it had started after the holidays. She didn’t know him well so when he started making an effort to talk to her, she thought perhaps he wanted to be friends, especially with his participation in the DA. But when it became clear he was romantically interested, she gently turned him down. 

Only he didn’t get it. And now he went out of his way to find her. In the halls. After Quidditch. After dinner. Often after dinner, actually. He’d come over with a damn cup of tea at least once a week like maybe _this_ time it would garner different results. And she didn’t even _like_ tea. He’d find her in the library. He’d just happen to be in the owlery at the same time. It was exhausting. She’d have been happy to be friends and she knew he meant well… but how thick could he be? She knew eventually she’d have to just bluntly tell him to move on, but she’d been hoping for a while now that the not-so-subtle hints would do the trick.

“Better luck next time, mate,” Seamus said with a grin.

“She’s just busy, I’m sure,” he said earnestly, getting up and returning to the Hufflepuff table.

They’d shared such similar experiences when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened all those years ago; Ginny being taken captive in the Chamber while he, himself, was petrified by the basilisk. When he’d awoken in the hospital wing months after his petrification, his first few blinks had been met with flashes of fire red hair. As he’d come to consciousness, she’d turned her head towards him, shifting in her own bed that was placed next to his, and he’d felt a comfort wash over him in a way he’d never felt before. He was twelve at the time, of course, but he’d felt connected to her in that moment; A connection that only seemed to grow with time. And now, almost through his fifth year, he’d come to the realization that the connection wasn’t just comfort, but love. True, blinding, punch-you-in-the-gut, _love_. The only problem was that they’d never spoken more than a couple of sentences to each other until he’d begun his recent quest for her affection.

His main tactic so far was to try to slyly remind her of the Chamber of Secrets ordeal with references to the basilisk or being petrified, in hopes that it would rekindle something in her brain for her to also feel their connection. Although he’d left the hospital wing before she ever woke up, he knew she’d felt his presence. He’d talked to her whenever the room was clear and before his sleep potions took effect. He’d told her all about his childhood and the plights of being muggleborn at Hogwarts in his first year. He’d shared feelings and memories he’d never shared with another. And although she’d been sleeping, there had been a few times she’d mumbled something incoherent and he knew it was her way of telling him she was listening. He’d mentioned to her a few months ago that they’d been neighbors for a few days in the hospital wing and she’d nodded politely in acknowledgement before excusing herself to get to her next class. He assumed the memories of their time in that comfortable recovery period together were flooding back in that moment and that it would only be a matter of time before she agreed to a date.

The next day, Justin saw her a few paces ahead of him heading to the dungeons. He had Charms coming up, but figured he could be a few minutes late for the chance at another chat. 

“Ginny!” he called as he quickened his pace.

He heard her mutter something and watched as she started walking faster as well.

“Ginny!” he called a little louder, practically at a run now as he caught up to her, “ _Stunned_ to see you this time of day,” he grinned and she glanced over at him.

“Sorry, running late, Justin, can’t talk.”

“Of course!” he tried to laugh casually, “Look at the time! Have a great day.”

“Bye Justin,” she sped up again and he watched her go with a smile on his face.

He loved how independent she was and how important her studies were to her. Gosh he could go on for hours about all the things he loved about this girl.

A few days later he couldn’t believe his luck, Ginny sat by the lake doing homework by herself as Justin wandered the grounds. He pulled a small radio from inside his robes, something he’d kept there just in case he encountered her, and walked over.

“Ginny, just who I was looking for!” he said as he took a seat in the grass next to her.

She looked up with a stone-faced expression, “Justin,” she sighed.

“I had something I wanted to play for you,” he said, turning the dials on the radio until it came in clearly, “It’s a song from this muggle singer, Aretha Franklin. There’s this one part that always makes me think of you,” he smiled as he set the radio in the grass and the lyrics crooned from the speakers as Ginny stared at it warily.

_At first I was afraid,_

_I was petrified._

_Kept thinking I could never live_

_Without you by my side._

“Oh and this one other song too, by an artist called Sir-Mix-A-Lot!” He turned a few of the dials again and a new voice permeated the air.

_My anaconda don’t want none unless you’ve got—_

Ginny hit the off button on the radio a bit harshly as she realized he was making _yet another_ reference to the Chamber of Secrets.

“You know, because _petrified_ ,” he said with an endearing look, “And the snake.”

“Look, Justin,” Ginny tried her hardest to soften the frustration out of her voice, the time had come, “I appreciate that you’re obviously doing your best to show me attention,” Justin opened his mouth to interject but she held her hand up, “But it might interest you to know that I just started dating Dean. You seem like a nice boy. A bit overly enthusiastic and ill-directed, but I’m sure there is someone out there for you. Someone patient and kind and smart. But I am not the girl for you.”

“But we’ve shared such a deep life experience with the Chamber…”

“No, Justin. I don’t even remember being in the hospital wing with you. I was literally possessed by Voldemort, almost killed and then put into a deep sleep to recover. I see what you’re trying to do and I’m sure in some way it helps you cope with what happened to you, but this is not going to happen. Please move on.”

She stood up, packing her things as Harry, Ron and Hermione descended the hill to the lake.

“But I -” Justin faltered a bit, trying to fathom how he’d missed that she was getting cozy with Dean under his nose.

“Hi Ginny,” Hermione said, “Hi Justin.”

Justin pulled his eyes from Ginny and they landed on Hermione. Carrying books, a kind smile on her face and a welcoming aura surrounding her.

“I was just heading up to the castle,” Ginny said, brushing past them all and stomping her way up the grounds; glad she’d finally said what she needed to Justin and ready to have some peace and quiet.

Hermione watched her go before turning back to Justin, her hair blowing wildly in the wind, “Is she alright?’

“She’s fine,” he said, blinking a few times as clarity set in. It wasn’t Ginny he was in love with, he realized as he pictured himself rolling over in the hospital wing bed and catching a glimpse of brown frizzy hair from the bed on the other side of him. He smiled at the revelation. It was never Ginny. It was Hermione. It was _always_ Hermione.

“Alright, well she’s who we were looking for, so we’ll just be… um, going,” Hermione smiled politely again at him as they turned to head back up to the castle.

Justin pulled himself back from his thoughts after a moment and jumped up, “Hey! Hey Hermione! Wait up.” he called as he started to run after her.

**_The End_ **


End file.
